


angel

by eorumverba



Category: SHINee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-01-18
Packaged: 2019-03-06 13:02:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13411806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eorumverba/pseuds/eorumverba
Summary: to them, Jonghyun is an angel





	angel

##  _1\. aliferous: (adj.) having wings_

Jonghyun is an angel.

Sunlight seems to reach out for him, clinging to skin bronzed by countless suns and stars, and when the evening rays catch his bare skin just right, Jinki can see his wings, iridescent and light and beautiful. Sometimes, he’ll reach out to touch, but Jonghyun will twist away at the last moment with a smile on his lips and secrets in his eyes, and Jinki will end up the taste of stars on his lips and unanswered questions on his tongue.

##  _2\. apricity: (n.) the warmth of the sun in the winter_

Jonghyun is an angel.

Whatever Jonghyun does and no matter how often he stays inside, he’s always so  _tan_ , almost golden, and whenever Kibum reaches for his hand to hold, it’s warm. Jonghyun holds the sun and the stars in his hands, and his skin burns bright and warm from the force of them. And it’s funny, because whenever Jonghyun climbs into bed with him, his toes are freezing, and they somehow always manage to make their way between Kibum’s legs. Somehow, seeing the warm smile on Jonghyun’s lips whenever they’re warm and cozy in bed together, Kibum doesn’t really mind.

##  _3\. aspectabund: (adj.) letting emotion show easily through the face or eyes_

Jonghyun is an angel.

He’s quick to laugh and quicker to tears, and it’s so endearing how even after everything, he’s still like that. Minho knows now that whenever Jonghyun bursts into tears now, it’s because of some other family’s misfortune, some awful thing that he’s seen in the world. He knows now simply to open his arms and let Jonghyun be held, rock him back and forth until the tears stop, be quiet and there with him once his tears have subsided. And even though Jonghyun has galaxies in his eyes and universes on his skin, in those moments, he seems so small and fragile in Minho’s arms.

##  _4\. aurora: (n.) dawn_

Jonghyun is an angel.

In those moments while the sun is still rising in the sky, while Jonghyun is still asleep but finally beginning to wake up, Taemin likes to watch him. There’s something captivating about Jonghyun, awake or asleep, and even though Taemin has watched Jonghyun wake many times, it always has him losing his breath for how beautiful he is. It’s not just the soft pink of his hair fanning out over the pillow, or the gentle curves of his cheeks and nose and lips, or even the flickering of his eyes in dreaming. It’s the veins of starshine Taemin can see flickering just below Jonghyun’s skin, the constellations slowly shifting on his skin if Taemin really  _looks_. And then Jonghyun will roll over, or shift closer in his sleep, or open his eyes and smile blearily up at Taemin, and the spell is almost, almost broken.

##  _5\. balter: (v.) to dance gracelessly, but with enjoyment_

Jonghyun is an angel.

Sometimes, in the early morning hours before everyone else is awake, Jinki will startle out of sleep and roll over to feel that Jonghyun is gone. And yeah, sometimes he’ll move to someone else’s bed during the middle of the night, cuddle up to Kibum when he has nightmares and soothe Taemin when dark thoughts come and eventually fall asleep with Minho to help him stay asleep at all, but other times, Jinki will stumble out into the rest of the house and find Jonghyun curled up on one of the corners of the couch, a warm mug of hot cocoa cupped in his hands and a snack on a plate on the coffee table in front of him. He’ll always turn around when he hears Jinki’s approach, and he’ll smile and beckon him closer, and when Jinki is close enough to touch, Jonghyun will put his drink down and stand as well, falling into Jinki’s welcome arms for a warm hug that always turns to them swaying in the living room to music no one can hear.

##  _6\. cafune: (n.) the act of running your fingers through the hair of someone you love_

Jonghyun is an angel.

So when Kibum is stressed from upcoming exams, Jonghyun is there, barging into his room with his laptop and a firm set to his lips that makes Kibum want to argue. But Jonghyun doesn’t budge, says that they’re  _going_  to watch this movie, because Kibum  _needs a break_ , and when Kibum eventually gives in, Jonghyun just smiles triumphantly and curls up in Kibum’s bed. And Kibum doesn’t realize how stressed he’d actually been until the movie is halfway through, until his body finally slumps with relaxation as Jonghyun’s fingers move gentle and easy through his hair. When the movie is over, Jonghyun kisses Kibum slow and sweet before urging him to study hard. So Kibum does, if only to see the overjoyed smile Jonghyun has when he gets an A.

##  _7\. catharsis: (n.) release of emotional tension_

Jonghyun is an angel.

Minho doesn’t get the role Jonghyun had urged him to try out for, and Minho is  _devastated_. It’s not so much the idea of not being good enough for the roll, but because he didn’t get something that Jonghyun has suggested. And yeah, Jonghyun is an angel, and he can’t make everything go the way they specifically want, but Jonghyun had been so bright on the day of his audition, kissing him goodbye with a soft smile on his lips and the promise of “You  _will_  get this” on his lips. So it hurts. All Jonghyun does when Minho tells him is smile again, sadness in his eyes, but there’s something else there that Minho can’t place. He doesn’t realize what it is until weeks later, when he gets a call and an offer for an even better part (the  _lead_ ) and a smothering hug from all four of the loves of his life.

##  _8\. charmolypi: (n.) a mixed feeling of happiness while being sad_

Jonghyun is an angel.

And maybe it’s because of that, or maybe it’s just  _Jonghyun_ , but he always knows when Taemin feels gross, and whether he needs space, or someone to watch movies with, or someone to nap with. If Taemin just needs to be left alone and sleep, he’ll wake up and find that someone’s left the exact food he’s been craving right next to his bedside, and if he wants someone  _here_ , Jonghyun will be quick to cuddle up next to him, pouting and demanding to be held. Somehow, he just  _knows_ , and in all the times that Taemin can’t think or feel or  _do_ , Jonghyun is there. And for that, Taemin is grateful.

##  _9\. diaphonous: (adj.) light, translucent, and delicate_

Jonghyun is an angel.

There are whole constellations scattered across his body, and Jinki could spend days tracing each tiny mark on Jonghyun’s back and stomach and thighs with his lips and fingers, could stare at every beauty mark and map out the stars on Jonghyun’s body. On the days where he can coax Jonghyun’s clothes from his body, he does just that - just innocent touches and kisses, all gentle, all chaste. Sometimes - most times - it’s just for his own amusement, but the way Jonghyun giggles and squirms at the gentle touches makes it that much better. He always has been ticklish, and while Jinki rather doubts that the stars appreciate Jonghyun’s squirming, in those moments, the happiness on Jonghyun’s face is much more important.

##  _10\. dulcet: (adj.) sweet_

Jonghyun is an angel.

It’s when Kibum kisses him that he remembers that. It’s in the way Jonghyun’s lips feel against his, soft and plush and sweet, and it’s in the way his lips  _taste_ , like sugar and vanilla and honey. Each and every kiss is gentle and chaste, and Jonghyun melts into Kibum like Kibum is  _home_. And maybe he is, because each and time Jonghyun looks up to him after they kiss, there is pure, unadulterated  _love_  in his eyes. “I love you,” he’ll say each time, “love you so much, Kibummie,” and with each profession of love comes another, another, another sweet kiss.

##  _11\. ephemeral: (adj.) fleeting_

Jonghyun is an angel.

Minho is reminded of that whenever Jonghyun disappears. It’s not often that he does it, and he tries not to be gone long, but it’s still jarring that one minute he’ll be curled up on the couch, the next, gone. Jonghyun is a guardian angel - Minho’s, Jinki’s, Taemin’s and Kibum’s - but sometimes, when he sees a kid with too much potential and too much misfortune, one that’s heading down the wrong path, he’ll go and give them a nudge, point them in the right direction. Kids, he says, are especially vulnerable, and more than often, when Jonghyun comes back, he’ll be toting someone else along, a kid that’s gotten kicked out or that needs a place to stay for a while. All Minho does now is bring the kid inside and tease Jonghyun for being tinier than the person he’s brought to their home, and try to make the kid feel as much at  home as he can.

##  _12\. ethereal: (adj.) extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world_

Jonghyun is an angel.

There are whole galaxies in the sparkle of his eyes and stardust glittering in his smile, and Taemin feels his heart beat just a little faster whenever Jonghyun looks up and shifts the stars with each radiant smile. Of all the people in the world, Jonghyun has chosen him, has whispered so many secrets of the universe to him, has let Taemin see and taste the stars splotched on his skin. It’s not really a  _crush_ , just some kind of adoration that has Taemin coming back again and again, all too eager to see even just a hint of that  _smile_ again.

##  _13\. eutony: (n.) the pleasantness of a word’s sound_

Jonghyun is an angel.

Something that Jinki’s noticed after spending time with all of them is that they all like to sing. It’s kind of how they were all introduced - Taemin and Kibum, the dancers, Jinki and Minho, the singers. Minho is still shy about singing, will only sing when he thinks no one can hear him, but his voice is soft and beautiful, just as gentle as he is. But Jonghyun’s…Jonghyun’s voice is  _powerful_ , and it’s funny, because his body is the only thing small about him. Even just speaking, his voice is lilting, like he’s trying to sing out every word, and whenever he says Jinki’s name, Jinki very nearly melts on the inside.

##  _14\. halcyon: (adj.) a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful_

Jonghyun is an angel.

When they first meet, and even without knowing of Jonghyun’s unworldly nature, that is the first thought that pops into Kibum’s mind. Jonghyun is an angel - he must be, because there is no way that a normal human being could make him feel so happy, so at peace. And when they get to know each other better, Kibum still thinks that Jonghyun is an angel, because there is no way that a normal human being could know him so well, so intimately, and there is no way that a normal human being could give him exactly what he needs at exactly the right times. Jonghyun gives him Taemin when he wants a friend, and Jinki when he needs guidance, and Minho when he wants brother, and when Kibum wants a lover, Jonghyun just smiles and gives him a trembling kiss.

##  _15\. illecebrous: (adj.) enticing_

Jonghyun is an angel.

He’s not perfect, like Minho thought he would be: he gets pimples, and he gets sunburned, and his skin peels, but there’s something appealing about the lines and curves of Jonghyun’s body. The first time Minho seems him bare, all he can do is stare, because Jonghyun is everything he thought he’d be and so much more. But Minho’s favorite part of Jonghyun is his tummy, soft and full. Usually, when they have time to themselves, Minho ends up worshipping Jonghyun’s body and kissing every curve and plane of his skin. Sometimes, the others join in too, just one or two of them, and even if Jonghyun doesn’t say it, Minho knows he loves the attention.

##  _16\. irenic: (adj.) promoting peace_

Jonghyun is an angel.

The biggest problem in having all five of them living together is that they argue a  _lot_. Taemin wouldn’t even mind the arguments, but being the youngest makes his opinions somehow mean less, which makes him want to argue more, mostly just out of spite. Despite Jonghyun’s usually peaceful manner, he tends to argue the most - he’s super competitive, and even more opinionated. It’s kind of cute: he’s so  _tiny_ , but he’s so  _vibrant_. If Jinki and Kibum want takeout, but Taemin and Minho want pizza, Jonghyun will  _frown_  at all of them and demand that they cook together, at home. “I want _pancakes!_ ” he’ll pout, and even though Jinki and Kibum wanted takeout, and Taemin and Minho wanted pizza, they’ll…somehow end up getting pancakes, or pasta, or whatever else Jonghyun decides that he wants.

##  _17\. kalon: (n.) beauty that is more than skin-deep_

Jonghyun is an angel.

There is love in the touch of his hands and softness in the hugeness of his heart, birdsong on his lips and sweetness in his eyes. When he laughs, it sounds like the carols of bells, and when Jinki kisses him, he can taste the starlight on his tongue. Angels can break out too, they find out, but Jinki just treats the red marks like they’re stars as well, tells Jonghyun that they’re planets whenever he finds him frowning and picking over them, and even if Jonghyun whines and pouts and complains that they’re not  _that_  big, he’s smiling now, and that’s all that matters.

##  _18\. kalopsia: (n.) the seeing of things as more beautiful than they actually are_

Jonghyun is an angel.

Sometimes, he and Kibum will go on walks together, just the two of them. Jonghyun needs the sunlight, and Kibum needs the exercise, so they’ll go down to the river, holding hands with packed lunches to share. Today, Jonghyun wakes Kibum up  _early_  - the sun hasn’t even risen yet, but Jonghyun already has their lunch packed, so Kibum allows himself to be poked and prodded out of bed, to the closet, to the front door. They grab breakfast on the road, and Jonghyun is quiet as he drives them out to their usual spot. But instead of going down towards the waterfall like they usually do, Jonghyun takes them up a path they’ve never taken, holding Kibum hand tight in his. When they reach a lookout, high above the trees, Jonghyun stops and points, beaming. “Look, isn’t it beautiful?” he asks, and even though it’s cheesy, it isn’t the sunrise Kibum is looking at when he says, “Yeah, it is.”

##  _19\. lacuna: (n.) a blank or missing part_

Jonghyun is an angel.

Before Jonghyun, everything had been different. Minho has always had a good home life, a nice family and lots of friends, and he gets good grades without having to really put in much work, so he wouldn’t really disagree if someone were to ask if he had a good life. It’s good, just not fulfilling in any sense, because Minho has good friends, and a good family, and a good education, but nothing to really  _live_  for. And then Jonghyun stumbles into his life, and with him comes Jinki, and Kibum, and Taemin, and now, instead of having nothing to live for, Minho has four people to live for.

##  _20\. lilt: (n.) a pleasant gentle accent_

Jonghyun is an angel.

Taemin likes listening to him talk: there’s something soothing about his voice, whether he’s telling some kind of bedtime story, or singing while getting the coffee pot set up, or acting cute to get out of doing his chores. It quickly becomes something of a tradition: Jonghyun starts his nights out Taemin, telling him stories in that quiet, gentle voice until Taemin drifts off, half wrapped around him until Jonghyun eases out of bed to make sure everyone else is okay.

##  _21\. ludic: (adj.) full of fun and high spirits_

Jonghyun is an angel.

They’d planned on going on a date, just a simple picnic down by the river, but on the day that they’d planned to go out, it started pouring, and neither of them really felt like going outside and getting soaked to the bone for an equally soaked meal. Jonghyun is ready to just go out another day, but they’ve already made the food, and Jinki honestly doesn’t know what puts the idea in his head, but instead of cancelling their date or having the picnic out by the river, they push the couches and chairs out of the way and set up their picnic up in the living room. Kibum and Taemin are out at the mall, and Minho is napping, so they’ll have at least an hour of peace to eat and have their date, but even when Minho comes out of his room to steal some food and promptly return to his bed, and even when Kibum  _sighs_  and rolls his eyes and tells them that he’s not going to be the one to vacuum, and  _even_  when Taemin flops down on top of Jinki as he whines for Jonghyun to feed him, Jinki doesn’t mind. Because he’s home, and Jonghyun is laughing, and he’s with the people he loves most, and most importantly, they’re all happy.

##  _22\. meraki: (n.) to do something with love or soul_

Jonghyun is an angel.

When it’s just them in the house, when Minho is too busy with his job, and Taemin is out with his friends, and Jinki is taking a day to rest on his own, Jonghyun usually wiggles up to Kibum with hopeful eyes and an eager smile. He doesn’t even have to say what he wants now, Kibum knows him that well, that he wants to bake something or take a long bath together, or curl up in bed and watch movies for the rest of the day. Usually, Jonghyun wants to bake cookies or brownies for all five of them to enjoy together, and even though Kibum usually hates doing the dishes, it’s that much more fun with Jonghyun to do them with, even though washing the dishes always turns into a full-on water fight by in just a few minutes. It’s worse when the others join in, but that much more fun, and maybe it’s because Kibum is so in love with all of them that eating whatever they’ve baked is somehow just as much fun as making them.

##  _23\. nefelibata: (n.) cloud-walker; one who lives in the clouds of their own imagination_

Jonghyun is an angel.

If it’s warm outside, Minho will often find him lying half asleep in the hammock or stretched out on the grass, humming a song with his eyes closed. If he’s close enough to hear whatever Jonghyun is saying, sometimes Minho will hear him talking to the grass, the dirt, the air itself. It’s never anything important, just silly little questions (what do you think it means to be strong, little bee?) and conversations that only make sense to Jonghyun. It’s Jonghyun’s time for himself, so Minho usually leaves him be, often listening in for just a moment before going back inside so Jonghyun can have at least a few more moments with just himself and his imagination.

##  _24\. nepenthe: (n.) something that makes one forget their sadness_

Jonghyun is an angel.

Taemin gets sad a lot. He’s only human, and it’s bound to happen - what he doesn’t know until months after living with Jonghyun is that angels can get sad too. Even if he doesn’t outright say it, Taemin has learned to read the curve of Jonghyun’s mouth and the sparkle of his eyes, the tone of his voice and the set of his shoulders. He’s learned that Jonghyun isn’t like him, doesn’t like to be coddled and loved when he’s sad, that sometimes, Jonghyun needs to just be alone for a while: just him and his candles and a long bath. But other times, those times where Jonghyun feels impossibly alone, he’ll curl up in Taemin’s arms and simply breathe him in until he feels okay enough to watch a movie, never horror, always animated. And even if he’s still sad by the end, Taemin still hopes that Jonghyun knows that he’s always here for whatever support he may need.

##  _25\. nubivagant: (adj.) wandering in the clouds_

Jonghyun is an angel.

Somehow, Jinki’s only seen him fly once. It’d been incredibly intimate, and something Jinki is sure he’ll never forget. The sight of Jonghyun’s wings unfurling, graceful and elegant, and the way his whole body had relaxed, the glimmer of starshine on each feather against the rising sun…it’d all been something magical and ethereal and intimate. That’s when it really hits Jinki, that Jonghyun -  _his_  Jonghyun - is really an angel. It’s almost scary, but then Jonghyun turns around and smiles, nervous but still so  _happy_ , and it’s still the same Jonghyun. It’s still Jinki’s Jonghyun, and that is so reassuring that Jinki’s legs almost buckle. And then they actually do, because Jonghyun is flying, really  _flying_ , and he’s laughing and swooping and _flying in the air_ , because he’s an angel, and he’s Jinki’s, and when Jonghyun touches down to run into his arms, his lips are cold from the crisp morning air, and his fingers are trembling, but he’s laughing into Jinki’s mouth with each kiss, because all Jinki can even think to say is, “You’re my angel.”

##  _26\. numinous: (adj.) feeling fearful yet awed and inspired_

Jonghyun is an angel.

Kibum finds out by accident. He supposes (he  _knows_ ) that Jonghyun would have told him eventually, and that yeah, walking in on one of your boyfriends singing to himself in the bathroom and trying to scratch a spot at the base of his wings…isn’t really the greatest way to find out that your boyfriend is an actual angel, but whatever. It’s happened, and Kibum can laugh about it now, even if then, he’d been startled and shocked and almost, almost scared. Now, Jonghyun doesn’t even try to scratch his back, just goes to Kibum for scratches and massages, because _you have the best hands, Kibummie! I love you!_  And Kibum is too weak, too helpless for Jonghyun, for his cutesy voice and his playing-at-shy mannerisms and the way he says  _I love you._

##  _27\. orphic: (adj.) beyond ordinary understanding_

Jonghyun is an angel.

And Minho has long since stopped trying to understand it, all of the cosmic plans and intertwining destinies and angelic hierarchies that Jonghyun has tried to explain. He thinks it’s endearing how confusing it is, and Minho thinks it’s just as cute how excited Jonghyun looks when he tries to explain everything in a way that Minho’s human mind can understand. All that Minho really, absolutely needs to know is that Jonghyun is his angel,  _their_  angel. Their guardian angel.

##  _28\. pyrrhic: (adj.) won at too great a cost_

Jonghyun is an angel.

And something that he - and  _only_  he - knows is how hard it was for Taemin to come live with them. It was something that Taemin had been wanting to do for months, something that Kibum and Jinki and Minho all wanted as well. And everything was fine, until Taemin made the mistake of mentioning that he wanted to move to his parents, and…maybe it isn’t the most angelic and righteous thing to do, but moving Taemin out himself is the right thing to do, even if it means that Taemin can’t talk to his family anymore. (“But that’s fine,” Taemin always says, “because I’m with my real family now.”)

##  _29\. pulchritudinous: (adj.) breathtaking, heartbreaking beauty_

Jonghyun is an angel.

Their meeting is a chance one, a cliche, just a quick and literal run-in at a coffee shop that Jinki has never been to before. Jonghyun’s smile had been sweeter than the coffee in Jinki’s hands, and Jinki’s never really thought of himself as a romantic, but there’s  _something_  that keeps him coming back to the coffee shop, and it’s definitely not the coffee. It’s Jonghyun’s smile, and Jonghyun’s laugh, and Jinki thinks he’s already falling just a little bit in love by the time he works up the nerve to ask Jonghyun out.

##  _30\. scintilla: (n.) a tiny trace or spark of a feeling_

Jonghyun is an angel.

The first time Kibum realizes - really  _realizes_  - that he has a crush on Jonghyun is kind of a surreal moment. There had been no…no fireworks or explosions or anything, just Kibum, and Jonghyun, and the stutter of his heart in his chest. They’d been watching a movie on Kibum’s laptop, resting close with Jonghyun’s head on Kibum’s shoulder, and they’ve done this before, so many times, and everything feels the same. But then Jonghyun tilts his head up and makes a quiet noise like he wants to say something, and Kibum glances down, and he realizes three things all at once. He realizes that he wants this all the time, and that he kind of wants to kiss Jonghyun, and most importantly, that if he asked right now, Jonghyun would probably say yes.

##  _31\. selcouth: (adj.) unfamiliar, strange, yet marvelous_

Jonghyun is an angel.

 _Angel_  is Minho’s favorite petname for Jonghyun, because he really is one. He’s selfless and sweet and adorable, soft in his eyes and his smile and his heart, and if Minho had to pick one word to describe him, he’d use the word angel. So he’s only a little bit surprised when Jonghyun tells him the whole truth, that he’s an angel - yes, an actual angel,  _yes_ , I have wings - and that he has to leave for a while, just long enough to go help someone else. And even though Jonghyun doesn’t give him any proof in those short moments before he leaves, Minho believes him, because that’s just another thing that makes sense about Jonghyun. At least now, Minho thinks, he understands now why Jonghyun always laughs at the petname angel.

##  _32\. sirimiri: (n.) a light drizzle of rain_

Jonghyun is an angel.

He’s also full of cliches: walks on the beach, art museum dates and coffee shop meetings, and even though Taemin thinks it’s cheesy, it’s also kind of… _really_  cute. It’s on one of those long walks that it happens, that it starts drizzling, and then pouring rain out of nowhere. It’s warm out, and there’s no thunder, so Taemin just grips one of Jonghyun’s hands in his to get his attention, and he squeezes to hide the sudden trembling of his fingers. Because there’s one cliche that they haven’t already done, and Jonghyun realizes just as Taemin starts to lean in, and even if it’s far from romantic (they’re on the side of the road, and Taemin’s socks are uncomfortably wet in equally wet shoes), it’s their  _first kiss_ , and by the way Jonghyun  _smiles_ when Taemin pulls away, he doesn’t think it’s their last.

##  _33\. susurrus: (n.)  whispering, murmuring, or rustling_

Jonghyun is an angel.

It’s something that Jinki can never forget, because Jonghyun is so selfless that it’s almost unreal. The first time Jinki feels Jonghyun get out of bed, he doesn’t question it and ends up falling right back to sleep. Knowing Jonghyun, he’d probably just gotten thirsty or needed a snack - but then it happens again the next night. Jonghyun shushes him back to sleep when Jinki tries to pull him back to bed, and Jinki lets him, too warm and too sleepy to really do anything about it, but the next night, Jinki is sure to keep awake, and sure enough, Jonghyun leaves again once he’s sure that Jinki is asleep.  Jinki waits a few minutes and then follows him, tiptoeing quietly through the house and to Taemin’s room, where he hears Jonghyun’s voice, quiet and soothing. When he peeks inside, his heart melts, because there Jonghyun is in his too-big pajamas, talking to Taemin about anything and everything. Jonghyun continues speaking for another twenty or so minutes, then quiets down and leans down to kiss Taemin’s forehead. Before Jonghyun can see him, Jinki steals back to his own room, heart warmed and softened by Jonghyun’s small gesture of love.

##  _34\. sweven: (n.) a dream_

Jonghyun is an angel.

The worst nightmare that Kibum’s ever had is one where Jonghyun leaves them. He can’t even really remember it by the time he wakes up: all Kibum knows is that he feels lost, and that Jonghyun  _wasn’t_  there. Except he is, sitting next to him on the edge of Kibum’s bed, stroking his hair with a worried look on his face. He listens quietly as Kibum explains what little he remembers of his dream, biting his lip and frowning, and when Kibum finishes, Jonghyun shakes his head before leaning down to kiss Kibum’s forehead, cheeks, lips. “I’m not leaving you, Kibummie, I’m not ever leaving any of you.”

##  _35\. temerate: (v.) to break a bond or promise_

Jonghyun is an angel.

When Minho asks, the only promise that Jonghyun says he’s ever broken was not to any of them, but for them. Angels aren’t supposed to love humans, not the way he does, and even if he’s their guardian angel, the kind of relationship that has developed between the five of them  _shouldn’t_  have. It’s fine in theory, and nothing has happened - no angels have come to strip Jonghyun of his wings or take him away, and Jonghyun doesn’t just disappear one day, and even though Jonghyun reassures them that nothing will happen, Minho can’t help the sudden fear he has that all of this will disappear one day.

##  _36\. viridity: (n.) innocence_

Jonghyun is an angel.

It’s something that’s always been in the back of Taemin’s mind, something he’s never really  _thought_  about until that first time that Jonghyun had wiggled his way into Taemin’s lap with his intentions clear in his eyes and on his lips. It’s clear that he knows what he’s doing, and Taemin lets him, because he’s too nervous to even voice what he wants. But Jonghyun knows, always knows, and even when he’s on his knees, he still looks so angelic that it’s almost obscene.

##  _37\. yonderly: (adj.) absent-minded_

Jonghyun is their angel.

Honestly, Jinki doesn’t know how they would all live without him. Whenever Minho is about to forget his lunch or something else important, Jonghyun is the one to remind him with a fond smile on his lips and amusement in his eyes, and whenever Kibum is near-panicking, sure he won’t pass this next test, it’s Jonghyun that soothes him with soft kisses and softer touches, that stays up to quiz him over and over until he’s  _sure_  that he’ll pass. Whenever Taemin stays out too late at the dance studio, it’s Jonghyun that brings him food and brings him home, and whenever Jinki is worrying about bills and keeping their unusual household together, it’s Jonghyun that makes him a cup of tea and sits with him, quiet while Jinki fills out endless forms. It’s always Jonghyun, and Jinki feels almost guilty for that, and when he tells Kibum, Minho and Taemin his plan to do something nice for Jonghyun, they all agree.

So Minho goes out to buy a cake, and Kibum takes Jonghyun out so Taemin and Jinki can decorate the house, and when Minho comes back, Jinki texts Kibum to bring Jonghyun back as well. As soon as they jump out to surprise him, Jonghyun bursts into tears, and even though he looks so  _happy_ , he ends up crying so much that they all pile in to soothe him in the only way they know how, with kisses and touches and coos of praise. The cake is good, and the dinner at the fancy fancy restaurant is better, but what’s best is coming home and piling in together to sleep in Jinki’s room with Jonghyun squished small and safe and loved between them all.


End file.
